Retirement means more work for lightning protection expert

He does not like the word 'retirement' and Professor Mat Darveniza of the University of Queensland will not let the milestone slow him down.

Recognised as a world leader in high voltage engineering and lightning protection, Professor Darveniza said retirement would not signal the end of his research.

'I really wish I was 30 years younger because the work is rolling along and it's productive,' Professor Darveniza, of the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department, said.

'I go to work every day with joy in my heart because the challenge is there, the support is there, the funding is there and the recognition is there.

'The only difficulty I've ever had is there are never enough hours in the day for everything I want to do.'
Although he retired in December 1997, Professor Darveniza has continued with his major research project as a professorial research fellow.

He said retirement would give him the flexibility to lecture overseas and work with national and international technical committees while establishing new research projects.

Professor Darveniza heads Lightning and Transients Protection Pty Ltd, the consulting company he formed in 1995, and is writing a book on his lightning protection work.

After completing a bachelor of engineering at the University of Queensland in 1953, Professor Darveniza worked for the Southern Electric Authority of Queensland.

He obtained his PhD (University of London) and returned to the University in 1959 as a lecturer in the Electrical Engineering Department.

He was appointed senior lecturer, reader then professor in electrical engineering.

In 1980 he was awarded a doctorate of engineering (University of Queensland) and in 1990 Chalmers University of Technology, Switzerland, awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Science in Engineering.

Professor Darveniza is active in expert committees on lightning, high voltage and insulation and is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.

Professor Darveniza is chairman of EL24, the Standards Australia committee responsible for lightning protection, and represents Australia on International Electrotechnical Commission TC81.

Last year he developed a portable lightning protection device through his work in the University's high voltage laboratory and was awarded a Meritorious Achievement Award in Continuing Education from the IEEE.

Professor Darveniza described his field as 'problem-solving research' and said it was a credit to Australian researchers that their improved lightning protection systems had been adopted worldwide.

'As a result of our research work, we've greatly reduced the frequency with which lightning damages insulation and electrical equipment,' he said.

'That can be translated into savings of millions of dollars per year.

'It means that an academic doing research can not only discover knowledge but that knowledge can be applied for a very practical outcome.'

For more information, contact Professor Darveniza (telephone 07 3365 3775 or 07 3365 3869).